Denver Direct: July 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Hard Times Ahead for Denver
At Tuesday’s Mayor-Council meeting Mayor Hickenlooper set aside 20 minutes for Council members to discuss the upcoming $120 million in budget cuts that will be required (after already cutting $80 million this year). As far as I could tell, nothing of substance was revealed.
Maybe Hickenlooper should get out the Dancing Letters (A through I).
Note: Carla Madison, Councilperson for District 8, although called upon by Hickenlooper, had nothing to say. NOTHING.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Moonlight Ride
I’m not sure what it is about this event that so captivates me, but because it goes by my house on York, I can’t resist the urge to videotape it. The riders glide by in the cool evening air, occasionally letting out a hoot or a holler, sometimes accompanied by boom-box music, but usually just the sound of conversation and laughter. Maybe it’s the contrast to the usual scene: either traffic-choked standstill or speeding. At any rate, Saturday’s event was no exception, so here’s the video:
Notable this year: More riders and more waving at the camera. Three skateboarders, one jogger, and one bicycle walker. The number of light-show riders was about the same. I want to see something more like this:
The Pro version costs $2000, but what a great advertising medium!
More about the event here.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Spineless Grumps
Someone left a flyer on my porch this morning.
First let me point out that: 1. this is not a race, it’s a ride. It’s a family event. It is sponsored by Kaiser-Permanente for the benefit of Seniors, Inc. 2. it has never lasted until 2:00 am in my neighborhood. 3. all of the “noise”, e.g. music, laughter, hoots and hollers added together would not equal one loud motorcycle. 4. Seeing the streets taken over by bicycles sliding through the night is a spiritually uplifting event revealing what might be possible in a better world.
To those who put out this flyer – you are spineless grumps. At least sign your flyer so we know who you are.
P.S. I liked it so much I created this fantasy piece in 2007. I’ll be out there on York Saturday night to videotape this one as well. Right on cyclists!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Pot Providers Under Attack
from Brian Vicente, Executive Director, Sensible Colorado
I thought you might be interested in a story of statewide concern regarding a Hearing on July 20 where the CO Board of Health is voting to weaken the state medical marijuana law. In short, the Board will be considering a number of changes to the law including limiting state-licensed "caregivers" to only providing medical marijuana for five patients. Currently, caregivers can help as many patients as need their aid, and this has lead to a growth in both people using the program (currently almost 8000, up from 4500 in January) and in emerging medical marijuana storefronts ("dispensaries") which provide safe access to medical marijuana for many patients. This "Five Patient Cap" is aimed at shutting down these dispensaries, and would greatly limit patient access to this doctor-recommended medicine.
More information is available in last week's Denver Post article "What is State Smoking?" available here.
Sensible Colorado is organizing the public opposition to these proposed regulation changes and we have secured opposition letters from U.S. Congressman Jared Polis, the Northern Colorado AIDS Project, the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, and other prominent individuals and organizations. We plan on having over 1000 patients/advocates in attendance at this Hearing and-- in an unprecedented move- the state has rented a giant auditorium on the Aururia Campus (Denver) to accommodate this public interest. Buses have been rented to bring in patients from both Ft. Collins and Colorado Springs.
NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING
YOU ARE INVITED!
1. The St. Charles Town Company would like to share with neighbors and nearby businesses its latest ideas for using the land on the north side of East Colfax between York and the Esplanade, including the former Safeway site.
2. The newly-relocated Church in the City/Beth Abraham would like to show the community its newly-renovated landmark facility. A tour will be given by Pastor Michael Walker.
THURSDAY JULY 23 6:30pm Church in the City/Beth Abraham 1580 Gaylord Street (in David’s Tent – lower level) (parking available to south of office/school at 16th and York)
Co-sponsored by: Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods City Park West Neighborhood Association Colfax on the Hill Congress Park Neighbors South City Park Neighborhood Association Uptown Neighborhood Watch Association St. Charles Town Company Church in the City/Beth Abraham
Monday, July 13, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Plasma Universe, Cycles, and You
I was first attracted to electricity by way of magnetism. When I was 5 or 6 years old we had some little Scottie dogs (plastic), black and white, with magnets glued to their feet. What intrigued me was that you could feel the magnetic effect like an invisible ball around the magnet when you held the other magnet close to it. You could feel that a force was there but you couldn’t see it. Mystery.
Because I had access to a decent library as I got older, I was able to pursue this interest by reading about, and then making, electromagnets. The Boy Electrician was a book I purchased and loved. On to motors, radios, etc. Then I discovered that the human brain was electrical in nature. Wow, that really turned me on. I wrote a paper – The Brain, The Nerve Cell, and Electricity – for English class in the ninth grade. Later I went to graduate school for 5 years of study in neuropsychology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Now, over 50 years later, and after having studied The Plasma Universe for the past two years, and having recently become aware of the work of Stephen J. Puetz, (listen here), I am beginning to see the Big Picture. Yes, the entire universe is electric in nature, and so are we. Our moods influence our behavior, and the electric universe influences our moods.
I’d like to drag you along on this learning journey, although I suspect many of you will not have the time or inclination to be so dragged. However, if you do, here’s a good place to start:
And if you liked that, here's an hour for a broader view.
And the really cool thing about these plasma phenomena is that they are scalable. Here's my own effort with a plasma ball. Yes, you can do this at home.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
City announces Aug. 1 Neighborhood Conference
“Back to Basics, Block by Block”
DENVER, CO — JULY 6, 2009 — Mayor John Hickenlooper and City leaders will host neighborhood and community organizations in a day of community-wide networking and neighborhood leadership training on Saturday, Aug. 1, at Coors Field.
The conference agenda will include a lunch-time keynote address by Mayor John Hickenlooper; presentations by local and national leaders on community building; workshops to address specific issues facing neighborhoods; small- and large-group decision-making sessions designed to define what strong neighborhoods look like; tips to identify effective strategies to promote neighborhoods; and opportunities for networking.
The conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 2 p.m., with registration at beginning at 7:30am. The goal is to encourage a shared vision for Denver’s diverse neighborhood and community groups, allow for collaboration in building stronger neighborhoods and lead to action on a block-by-block basis. This conference is for anyone interested in:
• Learning about the exciting things neighborhood associations and other organizations are doing to improve the quality of life in Denver’s neighborhoods. • Finding out how the City is working to engage residents in projects and plans intended to build community relations. • Gaining practical tools for addressing a wide range of community and neighborhood issues. • Networking with neighbors, groups and City officials.
To accommodate participants appropriately, please register to hold your spot by July 24. To register or for more information, contact Heather Barry at (720) 865-9103 or via email at: heather.barry@denvergov.org.
Please note that interpreters and/or CART will be provided upon request with five business days’ notice. Please contact Amber Tafoya, Denver Coalition for Integration, at (720) 371-7496, or ambertafoya@gmail.com.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Chill
This weekend is a good time to chill, and here's a great start. I was privileged to be able to videotape Boulder singer Janine Gastineau at the Rock & Soul Cafe last night for an evening of jazz and song. Lovely and heart-felt, it sends chills up and down my spine.
Editor's note.
SEARCH THIS BLOG
WHAT WE ARE READING NOW
FOLLOW BY EMAIL
BLOG ARCHIVE
CONTACT US
BE HERE NOW
CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE
All of the work on this site, including the original YouTube videos by www.DenverDirect.tv, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Click on the symbol above for explanation.
SUBSCRIBE TO DENVER DIRECT
Posts
All Comments